tech.
Eastern Piedmont Adventures
Photos by Mike Hol land, Bio
The Haw River
Forsyth to Chatha
m counties
By Kim Whorton Tr
ipp
The Haw River has sections to suitt experienced paddlers ass well as weekend strollerss..
T
he Haw River has been a life force for people l livli ing along its banks for centuries. As it flows for 110 miles through six heavily populated piedmont counties (Forsyth, Guilford, Rockingham, Alamance, Orange and Chatham), the Haw provides drinking water, wildlife habitat and recreation to many communities. Beginning near Kernersville, the Haw River flows northeast before turning south below Reidsville as it heads towards Jordan Lake Reservoir. Four miles south of Jordan Lake dam, the Haw joins the Deep River to form the Cape Fear River Basin, which is the most industrialized and populated basin in the state. Native Americans farmed and fished the area for thousands of years. European immigrants arrived in the 1700s, and the first dam was built around 1850. More dams were constructed to provide hydropower for textile mills, which became the backbone of the region’s economy for many years. Towns like Burlington and Saxapahaw grew up as a result of this industry. The Textile Heritage Museum in Glencoe, a restoration project and museum, offers visitors a look at the history and machinery of that era. The Haw became heavily polluted as textile factories and towns dumped their wastewater into the river. The decline of the textile industry along with the Clean Water Act of the 1970s helped improve the river’s conditions. Still today, runoff and wastewater issues threaten the health of this river. The Haw River Assembly, a nonprofit citizens group, was founded in 1982 to help restore, conserve and protect the river. Its mission is to educate the public and to monitor the river’s water quality with the help of grassroots volunteers. Conservation efforts have helped produce several distinct trails along the river. The Haw River Trail is a 110mile conservation and recreation land trail and paddle trail that connects Haw River State Park and Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. The trail serves as a buffer zone to protect 54 APRIL 2009 Carolina Country
t quality lit within ithi th Ri watershed, t h d water the H Haw River and to serve as a natural wildlife habitat. It has become part of the state’s Mountain to Sea Trail. It is a wonderful ecotourism destination—ideally suited for all sorts of outdoor pursuits including boating, hiking, camping, horseback riding, fishing and bird watching. The new Haw River State Park is in the early stages of development. Many farms in the area have converted from growing tobacco to growing grapes. The Haw River Wine Trail will introduce you to four neighboring wineries along a 50-mile trail. Canoeing is popular on the upper, flat water sections of the Haw River. Whitewater enthusiasts enjoy the challenge of the Class II–III rapids along the river’s lower sections. Well-known rapids with names like Gabriel’s Bend, Moose Jaw Falls, The Maze and Black ‘n’ Blue are aptly named for their temperaments. But boaters beware: the Haw River is extremely dangerous at high flow. The rocky waters are filled with strainers, or fallen timbers, and rocks that ensnare paddlers. High waters cover the river banks, leaving an inexperienced boater with no place to pull over. The Haw River Assembly Always check the PO Box 187 water levels before Bynum, NC 27228 paddling the Haw (919) 542-5790 River! t these ation check ou rm fo in e or m r Fo e: resources onlin www.hawriver.org il.org www.hawrivertra agemuseum.org www.textileherit etrail.com www.hawriverwin a.usgs.gov/nwis/rt http://waterdat
c
(to check water
levels)